Beyond The Dance Floor

Reading the past posts one might think that all we ever do is practice. But the truth is these intense practice periods happen only few times a year when we have some bigger shows to get ready for. And when the hard work is done we also know how to reward ourselves.

From the beginning we have formed friendships and spent a lot of time together in our "free time" (meaning outside dance practices and shows) as well. After dance classes we might decide to go have dinner together, nowadays most often in Telakka which is just outside Tullintori. Or have a drink in Passion. Also our movie nights have been quite legendary. Before our dear Vinay escaped to work in Philippines we often used to gather at his place to watch a movie or two - Bollywood or other Indian flicks of course. In general we are very creative at coming up with any excuse to spend even a little more time together.

One of our get-togethers from a couple of years back and the already traditional body parts game.

All the dancers work really hard during practice periods and Danny is very demanding but he is also very generous and often rewards us with epic parties or small trips. In the early years we were quite regulars in Miami/Hullu Poro. Now the studio easily turns into a party scene - like already a traditional Halloween Party both for kids and adults. 

Halloween with DBDC - scary and fun as it should be!

We have also expanded our get-togethers outside Finland. In 2013 we went to a lovely cruise together. We had big plans to dress up fancily and have a posh evening out but as often before we finally found ourselves squeezing into a small cabin over some intense 'five cards' game. Especially our Indian members turn into card playing maniacs when they see the deck of cards. It really doesn't matter where we go, just being together doing simple stuffs s what we enjoy the most. 

The cruise did begin with style. ;)

Sometimes our journeys are a little more on the grand side - like the time when some of us travelled to India to celebrate Danny & Ranju's wedding right after the grand finale of Talent Suomi in 2012. That was a journey that would really deserve an entry of it's own!

Our trip in India included a lot of dancing (or course) as well as some beach life with cows.

This year we decided to to something different for our pre-xmas party. We did 90 mins of glow-in-the-dark paintball madness in Tampere Areena (scary but F-U-N). After getting a good sweat and bruises all over we headed to a beautiful cottage in Sastamala to end the year with a night of great food from Nepali Kitchen, sauna, fun and dancing until morning. We even had a visit from Mrs. Santa!

Mrs. Santa :)

Very memorable, very DBDC way of closing this year together. Now we only have the last pre-xmas party shows left before a well deserved Christmas Break. And this year even the break will be something very special. Some of us are packing our bags again and heading to India for Christmas and New Year together.

So although Christmas is still a couple of weeks away everybody in DBDC is already getting into xmas mood. I dropped by at the studio to say bye bye before taking off to India and what did I find!? A house full of dancing DBDC elves! A guaranteed group selfie moment. ;)

DBDC Office Elves Kati, Santhosh and Ekaterina feat. special guest blogger

Although the holidays are close, DBDC dance classes are still running all the way until Christmas. Remember to check the timetables at DBDC website, there are still some special treats coming up!

Happy, Dance-Filled December to everyone and very very relaxing Holidays as well! I will see you in 2015. :)

Zürich

Danny always has goals for DBDC. Sometimes his goals seem to be out of this world but somehow we always manage to reach them and go beyond. Our own dance school and the tv shows are just few of the targets we have hit. Going abroad is the next step.

Earlier this autumn we had our first show outside Finland in Tallinn, Estonia. Unfortunately not all of our dancers could go there so even if that was the first show abroad, our second one in Zürich on November 8th was definitely the more special one.

Considering it was our first bigger show abroad our journey went surprisingly smoothly. As our flight was very early in the morning we stayed in a hotel at the airport the previous night. Some of us didn't get much sleep but not because of partying but because some were still stitching lights to costumes and doing some other last minute preparations until late hours. We managed to almost miss the flight as well but that was only because yours truly had some problems parking the car… We already had the picture in our mind how we would have to call Danny and Rami who were already in Zürich that they would have to come up with a duo performance quickly. But after all we did reach the flight in time and had a chance to catch up with sleep. Although some of us rather played with Vuokko's photo booth application...

Flying DBDC Style... :P

In Zürich we had a warm welcome first by Danny and Rami the Photographer who were waiting for us at the airport and later by our lovely hosts from the Indian Association of Greater Zürich (IAGZ). IAGZ had invited us to perform in their yearly gala that was held in the beautiful Congress House by the Lake Zürich. It always brings a little extra excitement to a show when you know the audience is mainly Indian and other artists performing at the gala (Gyansundari's Dance School who performed beautiful Bharatanatyam dance and singer Nitin Shrivastava who performed Bollywood hits from 1940's to 2014) were amazingly talented. We really had to give everything to stand out. But we definitely got the feeling that it would be a good night when we saw the waitresses joining our dance during our practice session. It was wonderful to notice that our performance touched people and made them happy. We can really export our show outside the Finnish borders and make our message universal. This show was a proof of that.

Dancing waitresses 

Zürich show was not special only because we went there with the whole crew including Rami. The show we prepared for it was something we had never done before. It consisted of two parts. First one was theme performance dedicated to everyone who ever lost their loved one to cancer. Danny and Kati were playing the lead roles and such amazing job they did! It was truly heartbreaking.

Kati and Danny were shining like stars!

The second part was more traditional DBDC style: breathtaking half an hour full of Bollywood hits. We did a number of new songs including burlesquey Asalaam- e-Ishqum and recent hit number My Name is Ranveer Ching. So a lot of new songs, new props, new costumes and all together one hour show - we could really feel it in our muscles!

It's DBDC showtime!

This show took more practice hours than any other show before. For the theme performance we had to come up with the plot, record the voice over, practice with new props (like HUGE white fabric, heart shaped umbrellas and illuminated dresses). To make the show flow smoothly with all the costume changes we divided the group so that not all of us were dancing in all the songs but people were running on and off the stage all the time. 



Big part of the performance day is practice, getting ready, posing with friends and of course fooling around a little. :)

This time around it was time for Kati to take a bigger role as a choreographer as well – Asalaam-e-Ishqum-medley, Yaro yarodi and Sara sara saara kathu were all Kati’s choreos. I actually don’t know how she pulled through everything! She designed the new costumes. Some of them were made by our tailor Kristiina, some were ordered ready made online. So she looked all over internet for proper dresses and when not all of them arrived on time she stayed up all night to stitch dresses for us. As we were practicing our group numbers every evening and Kati had her own classes to teach as well, her and Danny only had the nights to practice their duos and solos. Not to mention they also had the after school kids club to take care of every day so they probably managed to add more hours to their day somehow or else I don’t know how they made it! So big HUGE thank you to Kati, our multitalented, beautiful, hard working superwoman! Without her dedication none of this would have been possible.

AMAZING Kati! <3

The next day we had the chance to walk around Zürich and admire this beautiful city from close. Some quality DBDC familytime before heading back to Finland.

Sunday walk :)

At home we have quite a busy pre-xmas party season going on so still many gigs to go this year. But we will definitely remember our special show in Zürich for a long time and all the new friends and memories we made.

Thank You Zürich!!

Dancing With The Stars

2 minutes and 30 seconds. That's the length of the performance we did in the latest episode of Dancing With The Stars. You could think that such a short performance is a piece of cake for us or that it would not be a big deal since we've performed in TV shows many times before. But more than 1.5 million people watched the episode so it was HUGE for us. Actually it was the most watched TV show that week in Finland. Earlier I wrote that we practiced around 10 hours a week for this show. The last week before the show the amount of practice probably doubled and I stopped counting the hours. You would not believe how much work is behind these two and a half minutes! And it's not like we would be practicing the same routine for hours and hours. Danny always keeps changing small details in the choreo a lot all the way until the performance. We also had a reporter from Helsingin Sanomat visiting one of our practice sessions and a full page article and video about Danny & DBDC was published on the eve of our Dancing With the Stars performance. So quite a lot of media coverage during one weekend!

We had a group of 20 people dancing in the show. Susanna, Hilla, Laura, Amanda, Outi and Paula were performing for the first time with us - quite a start for their DBDC-career! And they did an amazing job.

Hilla's debut with DBDC was full of emotion!

The show day started early in the morning already. We met at our studio around 9 am, danced through the song a few times, checked That all the props, costumes etc. was with us and then set is our way towards Helsinki - on time for once! It is quite a colorful caravan when DBDC cars hit the road. Myself, Danny and Linda had the honor to drive our crew to Helsinki this time. On a side note I have to say that people were actually fighting for a spot in my car.! ;D I guess some were worried that Danny's driving style would be too Indian... Although this video shows that eventually atmosphere was high in his car as well.

Every time we have a show in Helsinki, we take a break at the Linnatuuli. It is a tradition for many of us to have a panini and coffee there and it almost feels like we cannot go to any shows without stopping there. It brings good luck, it really does! 

We arrived in Helsinki almost an hour early. I guess it means this show was really important for us since we usually arrive in Indian style on the last minute. We first went to the dance studio where also the star couples practice routines for the show. At the studio we had our last practice session and started to get ready with hair, costumes and make up.

Last practice at Dancing with the Stars studio and some basic stretching by Eevi :) (pics by Hilla)

Usually we do our makeup ourselves but this time we had invited our wonderful make-up artist Vilja with us. She has done make up for our photo shoots before and it felt so good to have a pro like her with our team to make sure all of us were at our best during the TV shoot. She had quite an intense day as well doing the make up for 18 girls - big thank you is definitely in place!! 

In the afternoon we shifted to the TV studio and saw the star couples practicing their jive marathon. I think it was at this point when the excitement among our dancers really started to grow and it started to hit in that in just few hours we would be performing for more than 1 million TV viewers LIVE.

Props, hair, make up - GO! (Pics by Vuokko)

Before the live show there were still run throughs at the TV studio. And a lot of waiting as well. Luckily it never gets boring When spending time with DBDC and there is always someone's hair That needs braiding, costume that needs fixing etc. And if nothing else there is always time for some selfies! 

Also we managed to get some of the celebrities in pictures with us (side note: Pete Parkkonen is so HOT! We wish him all the best in the competition.).

With the stars :)

I don't really know what was running through my head minutes before the live show. I know I was more nervous than usually but also just could not wait to get on the stage. The Feeling when you dance in front of a cheering audience on such beautiful big stage is just something unique. You forget any fear or stage fright because you know it is the kind of feeling and opportunity you might never have the chance to experience again. So you just let go and enjoy the moment.

I think the performance itself went really well. And it was over so fast! So many hours of work, such a long day and then it all comes down to 2 minutes and 30 seconds when all the 20 dancers danced their heart out. It was such an intense experience that it was difficult to remember any details about the dance or how it went afterwards. Luckily we have proof that it was amazing! You can watch whole episodes here, our dance is in the beginning.

The after-show feeling is both happy and sad. Happy that it was so wonderful but sad that it actually is over now. Luckily we still don't have to start biting our nails for lack of practice sessions. Our next goal is in Zürich on November 8th. A lot of work is still to be done for this one hour spectacle that we are going to perform there so practices are nearly every evening and about 10 hours during the weekend. So something very special coming up soon. 

All the girls

The Happy Team after the performance.

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!

Busy busy busy, that's what we always are this time of year! Last year we had our school show in October, the previous autumn was crazy busy with Talent Suomi etc. And it’s not just learning new choreos that takes time but also finding and making new props, designing (and previously even stitching) new costumes… A lot of creative brainstorming  is needed to make the show the DBDC way.

This autumn we’re keeping busy with two TV shows and a very big, unique show in Zürich. We already did one TV shoot in August (I will tell you more about it once it will be out) and now practice for both Dancing With the Stars Finland and the Zürich show are going on full speed. That means about 10 hours of practice a week only for these two main shows (or even more when they get closer). Everyone has their daily jobs or studies on top of this and planning the practice schedule for 15-20 people so that everyone can always be there should be close to impossible. But what is one special quality about DBDC is the commitment of the dancers. This would be impossible if everyone wasn’t so committed and willing to make extra effort so that practices go smoothly and the group will be at its best when it’s showtime. We don't look at it as it is just some hobby we somehow have to squeeze in between the rest of our life. This is not a hobby for us, it’s our lifestyle.

For little over a year we have had the privilege of having our practice sessions in our very own, BEAUTIFUL dance studio that is located in the heart of Tampere in Tullintori shopping center. Before opening the studio in September 2013 we were always renting dance halls from other places – and if nothing else was available we went down to “Bommari”, the TUT bomb shelter that had cold and hard concrete floors and definitely no mirrors but enough space to go through the dance steps. Sometimes we were almost run over by the skater guys using the same space and you never knew who would walk in the middle of our dance routine but all of that only brought little extra excitement to our practices. Bommari was one of a kind spot but many of us still have some unforgettable memories from those times. It really put our team spirit  and dedication to test!

Bommari...a picture says more than a thousand words!

THE spot for practice used to be the Hervanta Leisure Center ("Vapari"). That is where it all started to grow and we definitely remember with love the great and patient service we received from the Vapari staff when we more than once took some extra minutes in the hall 108 after our scheduled practice time and the place was already closing. The same time we had the Vapari storage room and sometimes the dance hall itself full of our props like big foldable car, sunflower umbrellas and butterfly wings. Big thanks to everyone in Vapari for supporting us and bearing with us during those times!

         

           Video of our fun filled practice session in Vapari for Talent Suomi in 2012. 

Now the facilities to practice couldn't be better. But now there are also more shows and the shows are getting bigger and practices more demanding in many ways. In every show we are trying to improve and as standard is already high it takes a lot of work. The commitment and teamwork is what keeps us going and the fact that even we are just so eager to see the result after everything is ready. The ideas and choreos we are working on right now are just amazing! We all have bruises all over and muscle pain in muscles we didn’t know existed. Danny definitely isn’t going easy on us. But I’m over excited myself and I’m certain you will all love the outcome. Just wait and see! :)

Our Studio, our second home <3

DBDC Blog Is Here!

"This is our biggest show so far and probably the biggest we'll ever do". With these words Danny, the creative mind, heart and soul of DBDC, started our first practice for Dancing With the Stars (TV show known to everyone which we are honoured to be part of this season). To be honest I've heard the same words a few times before. From experience I've learned that it probably won't be the last time either. One of the best things about being part of DBDC is that you never know what new exciting, unique, absolutely fabulous opportunities await just behind the corner. You always think it can't get better than this yet it always does.

But to get here, to the biggest show we'll ever do (so far), it has taken us uncounted hours of hard work, sweating, sleepless nights, stitching costumes, practice practice practice, brainstorming, hugs, fights, laughter as well as uncounted kilometers on the road...It definitely hasn't come for free. And because of all this DBDC has grown into a unique kind of dancing family where all the amazing individuals work towards a common goal as a team - to be the best team, to always make our shows better, to make a difference, to bring joy of dancing to everyone irrespective of age, sex or skills.

Many people know us from TV shows such as Talent Suomi, Pakko Tanssia, Dance Suomi but this is only the top of the iceberg. We have performed all around Finland in venues varying from smallest pubs to biggest concert halls. It is quite amazing since we are all just regular Joes and Janes, working mothers and students, people working in different fields who just decided to start with a hobby that ended up being so much more we could ever hope for. Dancing with DBDC has made people shine brighter than they ever imagined they could shine. Many times we have been laughing that we should write a book about it all. Every show is like one chapter of the big story where all kinds of funny episodes, last minute changes, lost costumes, standing ovations and what not make our lives all the time richer with colorful memories. We hope it also brings color and joy to other people - those who dance with us in the dance classes, come see the shows, participate in the workshops etc.

While waiting for the book to be written we decided that this is all to wonderful not to be written down some way. So say hello to a brand new DBDC Blog! Here you will be able to follow our journey towards achieving our dreams. You will also learn more about people who are part of our team and how this journey has changed lives of so many in so many different ways. Welcome along everyone!

Happy DBDC team after the first practice for Dancing With The Stars

                                                                                                                        ~ by Hanna ~